A Knight in Not-So-Shining Armor
by sweet-lil-country-girl
Summary: The characters of a knight's tale have a new companion on their quest to change their stars. What could this mean for Will when he is torn between his childhood best friend and Lady Jocelyn? Read to find out. (content rating may change later, I'm not sure yet) Based on the 2001 Heath Ledger movie
1. Prologue

I was too young, really, to understand what was going on. I was only 4. I was confused and lost. Why was I dressed like a boy? What on earth was my mother talking to this strange man for? Who was that boy and how old was he? There were so many questions in my head. I stood there in the rain, shivering. I had on a pair of worn through trousers and a small white ragged shirt. We didn't have the money for shoes. My hair was pulled back which was how most boys wore it at my age anyway.

"William, Roland, get this child out of the rain before he catches his death!" the tall man ordered. The boy didn't move but the older one was quick to grab my hand and start pulling me away. There was the sound of shouting and a clatter of hooves on the cobblestone bridge far down the road. My mother looked startled at the sight of them. She quickly turned me around and grabbed my shoulders.

"I love you darling. Always remember that." She said. With that she kissed my cheek and took off down the road.

"There! That must be her!" a voice shouted over the rain. I looked in the direction it came. It was the man on the lead horse that I'd heard only a moment ago. He pointed in the direction my mother ran. By this time the older one had scooped me up and carried me back to the place he and the boy had been waiting, out of the rain.

I didn't know it then, but I'd find out soon. My fate had been sealed, everything was about to change. I was helpless as the men on horses rode past to hunt down my mother and most likely….kill her.


	2. Changing Our Stars

Needless to say, my mother's trick of dressing me as the opposite sex was quickly discovered….and thank the lord for that. However, it was only luck that Sir Ector, the 'strange man' my mother had given me to, didn't just toss me out on the streets. You see, my mother had thought wisely dressing me like a boy because had they known I was a girl first thing, I most likely would have been turned away. In the mind of a man, women are not seen as useful creatures who can do work other than cooking or cleaning. Had Sir Ector known of our little ruse, he would have assumed I was unfit to pack and lead his horse and turned me away, most likely to be murdered alongside my mother.

However, he didn't toss me out onto the streets when I was discovered. He kept me around, probably out of worry he'd be haunted by guilt. Aye, the guilt of leaving a little girl to starve and freeze would not be easy to deal with. That's probably why I'm alive now.

….And probably why I was standing beside my best friend Will, waiting for Roland to announce that Sir Ector was dead, nearly 14 years later. William Thatcher; that was the strange little boy who was staring at me when I was first brought to Sir Ector back when I was 4 and he was 6. Now, of course, he was 20 and I 18.

"Yep…he's dead." Roland called from the bottom of the small hill we stood atop, where he was checking Sir Ector's pulse. Sir Ector was up in his years and jousting could be exhilarating. He'd most likely suffered a heart attack. Roland was the older one that had carried me out of the rain all those years ago.

"What?!" Will and I exclaimed at the same time. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

At that moment Wat came sauntering up happily. "Three scores to none after two lances! All Sir Ector needs to do is not fall off his horse and we've won!" Wat told us what we already knew.

"He's dead." I said plainly, you could clearly hear the irritability in my voice. _We were so close! How could this have happened?! _Wat's eyes went wide and he looked from me to Will and then to Roland.

"D-dead? What do you mean dead?!" he asked.

Roland rolled his eyes. "Dead, the spark of his life is smothered in shite. His spirit is gone but his stench remains." Roland replied. _Men are disgusting to be around. _

Wat ran down the hill as Roland walked back up. "No! No! He can't be dead! I haven't eaten in three days!" Wat complained.

"None of us have, Wat." Will reminded him with an even voice. Wat began kicking Sir Ector's dead body. At that moment the royal announcer rode up to us on his horse.

"Sir Ector must report to the lists at once or he forfeits." He informed us.

Will grabbed my arm and whispered, "Do something about Wat.". I turned and went down the hill where I tugged at Wat's arm. I could still hear the conversation up on top of the hill.

"Well uh…" Roland started.

"He'll be there in a moment." Will assured the man with a smile. The man nodded.

"Wat! For Christ sakes, stop it!" I shouted, without thinking. I tugged on his arm with all my might and the two of us fell to the ground, him landing on top of me. I glared up at him and gave him a good kick to his…male area….and then looked up at the top of the hill where the three men were staring down at me. I gave them an innocent smile and with that the announcer rode off.

Will ran down and started to remove Sir Ector's armor. "I'll ride in his place." He said.

"Will…." I said in a warning tone but Roland had already had a lecture prepared. However, knowing Will wouldn't listen I gave in and started to help him into the armor.

Then Roland started in. "What's your name William?" he asked. Will glanced at him but didn't answer. "I'm asking you, William _Thatcher_, what your name is. It's not Sir William, it's not count or duke or earl William, it's certainly not _King_ William."

"I'm aware of that." Will said.

"You have to be of noble birth to compete. If the nobles find out who you are there'll be the devil to pay." Roland assured us.

Will grinned, "Then let's pray they don't."

"Sir Ector, stand ye ready?!" the announcer yelled. Will lifted his lance in the air. All Will had to do was stay on the horse and not die, and we won. "Then you may begin!" the announcer finished. The flag was dropped and Will dug his heels into the horse's side. It started to gallop forward immediately I began to worry.

Will was supposed to be cradling the lance yet he had trouble getting it to the right position. Roland saw it too and started mumbling, "Get it in the cradle…..Get it in the cradle…"

It was Wat who finally yelled it, "Get it in the cradle!" and as if by some miracle Will pulled it into the cradle at the last second. It didn't matter anyways. He took the hit right to the mask portion of his helmet. Roland and I looked at each other in worry. Wat was too distracted by the thought that we'd won to care that Will might have just been knocked on conscious. The three of us rushed over to him. Wat jumped up and down cheering with his hands on my shoulders. I elbowed him in the stomach and he let go.

"Is he alright?!" I asked Roland about Will. He checked under Will's helmet and smiled.

"He's breathing! He's breathing!" Roland exclaimed, as he started to jump up and down and cheer like Wat was. I was the one who helped Will down off his horse and steadied him on his feet. He was a bit dazed from the hit.

"D-did we win?" he asked, finding it hard to stand up.

I laughed. "Yes, William, we won. Good job." I assured him. He grinned unsteadily and nearly fell over but Roland and I were there to catch him.

After the tournament host presented Will with his prize Wat went off to find a priest for Sir Ector, Roland started searching for someone to sell off the prize to, and I tended to Will's bruised face. The mask of the helmet was dented badly. I was glad we'd no longer need it. Once Will was taken care of, I watched sadly as the men carried away sir Ector's body. I'd never let he boys see it but I was close to tears. I was closer to Sir Ector than any of them. I silently said a prayer for him and then returned to the horse so as to avoid conversation.

Roland came back eventually, unable to find a buyer and then we started off. When we were a ways from the tournament grounds we found a peddler. Roland sold him the trophy for 16 silver pieces. He split it up so we each got four. At that moment I realized our journey was over. We were all going off on our separate ways. MY heart shattered but I showed no emotion.

"Straight back to England for me!" Roland exclaimed happily.

"And straight to the pub for me." Wat said. "What about you Addie?"

I hesitated for a minute. I glanced at William, looking at his silver pieces in deep thought then looked back at Wat and Roland both watching me expectantly. "I suppose I might as well try to find work somewhere…..got nothing else to do." I answered finally.

"Where are you going to find work then? A brothel?" he teased.

I narrowed my eyes and he wiped the smirk off his face. "Actually I was thinking I'd give performing a try…..I don't know…." I trailed off.

Out of nowhere Will spoke up. "We could do this you know." He said. We were caught off guard.

"Well we have done it, my boy, look at those silver pieces in your hand." Roland said happily.

"No I mean we could do this….be champions." Will answered.

Roland sighed. "I told you, you have to be of noble birth to compete!"

"So we lie!" Will exclaimed as he looked at each of us. "Come on then, give me your pieces." He said, holding out his hand. We didn't move. "Come on then." Roland and Wat sighed and handed him their money. He looked at me and I shook my head. "Addie, give 'em." He said. I held them behind me. "Adelaide!" he exclaimed.

"Not happening." I said backing up. He sighed and picked me up effortlessly. I kicked and struggled but he eventually pried them out of my hand.

He took 3 and placed one piece and each of our hands. "Okay that leaves….." he trailed off doing the math, "that leaves 13 pieces." He smiled. "At the price of 13 silver pieces four men-….I mean 3 men and 1 woman could change their stars." He said. Will was always going on about 'changing his stars'. It was something his father had said to him. He started walking away when we didn't reply.

"You're going the wrong way." Roland told him but he kept walking. We exchanged glances and followed after him.

We came upon a clearing in which will stopped and faced us. "I have a chance at glory and riches, Roland. And because I have a chance I will not spend the rest of my life as nothing." He stated.

Roland shook his head and pointed to the gallows to our left. I covered my mouth and looked away at the sight of dead men hanging by their necks. "William, _that_ is nothing. And that is right where glory and riches will take you." He scolded.

Will shook his head and turned around. "William, we're the sons of peasants. Glory and riches are beyond us, but a full stomach, now that is a dream that can come true." Roland said.

I rolled my eyes. "The point is Will, we don't have a chance. You're the sons of peasants and I'm the daughter of a gypsy. How on Earth could we ever pass as nobility?" I asked.

Will grinned and laid a hand on my shoulder and the other on my cheek. "Well, my dear Addie, I'm sure you'd pass as a princess even in that dress, with _your_ looks." He said with a wink.

I shoved him away, knowing he was only teasing. "William I'm being serious." I said.

Roland stepped in. "It doesn't matter! We're not doing it. Give me my pieces." He ordered.

Will walked away a few steps and faced us all and held out his fists as if ready to fight. "If you can beat me, then you can take your money and go to England or eat cake. But, if you cannot, then you come with me." He said.

I crossed my arms and the three of us exchanged glances but did not move. Will waited and then stood up holding out his hands. "See? Money doesn't matter." The second he let his guard down we charged him, tackling to the ground. He tried to throw us off. And eventually he scrambled to his feet. We stood up, the two other boys ready to attack again. I sighed, this was pointless. I held my arm out in front of them.

"Hold, men." I said.

Will looked desperately at the three of us then focused on Roland. "Roland, please." He begged.

Roland hesitated and looked at the three of us. Giving in I gave him a nod. He sighed. "God love you William." He said.

Will grinned and hugged him. "I know, I know. Nobody else will." He said. I smiled and shook my head and the four of us went back down to the cart.


	3. Training and a New Look

The tournament in Rouen was a month away and that's all the time we had to train Will. We started in as soon as possible. Well actually, it was Wat and Roland mostly. I was still a bit broken up about the death of Sir Ector and I kept to myself for the most part.

Wat and Roland ran a series of drills with Will. We set up this thing that had a shield connected to it. He aimed for that with a lance while on horseback and if he broke a lance on it, he'd be okay, if he missed it nothing would happen, but if he hit it physically with his body, a sack would swing around and knock him off the horse. He took a few shots at that but missed nearly every time.

He rode by one last time for that particular day and missed completely. "Good job, Will. Very close!" Roland called he whispered to us, "I think he's getting worse."

"He _is _getting worse."Wat agreed. I nodded.

Another drill they set up was one where he again rode by on a horse and Wat would stand there with a shield in his hands. However, every time Will came close, Wat would chicken out and drop it. The first time it hit the ground and Wat covered his face with his arms. Roland had to force him back into position and this time he dropped the heavy wooden shield on Roland's foot. Wat grinned. "You see how dangerous it is?" he said. I glared.

"Oh move it you girl!" I said. I took the shield from Wat and stood in his spot. Will rode towards me and finally struck the shield. I toppled over backward. Next thing I knew the three of them were worriedly at my side. I grinned as they helped me up. Laughing I exclaimed, "That was awesome!" They exchanged worried glances and decided to move on.

The next drill they set up was one with a ring that hung from a vine on a tree. I sat the sidelines for this one. Wat and Roland dragged our cart, to save the horse, while Will stood in it and aimed for the ring. After quite a few times Will hadn't gotten a single one. They took a quick break.

"You've done it dozens of times…you still missed it." Roland said, out of breath.

Will smiled. "I guess that means we should do it again." Wat and Roland exchanged glances. Will walked back towards the cart and picked up some grass and held it out. "Come on. Come on, ponies." He said, teasingly.

They looked at each other again. "Fong him." Roland said and they took off after them. I rolled my eyes and went back sewing.

The final drill they attempted was on the river. They made a raft and tied vines to it. Wat and Roland ran along the banks while Will stood on the raft and again attempted to get his lance in the ring. "Slow and steady!" he yelled on their third attempt. They kept it steady and Will took careful aim. As he approached I suddenly got a very good feeling. He slipped the tip of the lance right through the ring. "Guy look! I got it I got! Hahaha! I got it! I- WHOA!" He held on too long and ended up falling over into the water. We waited for him to come back up, laughing the whole while….until we realized the armor was dragging him down. Wat and I jumped in and dragged him out but he was unconscious.

"What do we do?!" Wat exclaimed.

"I don't know!" I exclaimed.

"Perhaps Addie should kiss him. "Roland suggested.

Wat and I looked at each other then back at Roland. "What?!" we exclaimed in unison.

"Yeah! I saw it once. You're supposed to pinch their nose and kiss them or whatever, like give them back breath." Roland explained.

I looked at Will, still lying there. "He'll be okay." I said. Roland gave me a look but I just shrugged it off.

Needless to say, Will was okay after Wat got him to spit up the water that had filled his lungs. And so we moved on to sword fighting, which Will was already a master at. I sat back for this one too. Even though I knew I was quite a good sword fighter myself. I had to make Will a proper vest and I had to mend some of his own clothing so that he looked slightly more noble.

For a week or two Will repeated the drills daily and eventually, he gradually became better. Towards the week we were to leave for Rouen he was able to hit the target nearly every time. So we move onto our next challenge….or should I say _my_ next challenge.

It was my job to make Will look at least slightly presentable. I decided it would be best to start with a shave and a haircut. One day after they were done training I came to get him. "Come on Will we've got to take care of…_this._" I said, motioning to the entirety of him. He raised an eyebrow. "Roland, might you spare us a razor?" I asked.

"Sure thing, darling." He said. He disappeared into the cart and then returned shortly after, bearing a razor sharp piece of metal. "Here you are." He said, handing it to me.

"Thanks." I turned to Will. "Alright, you know how to shave, right?" I asked.

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, Addie, I do." He said. I held out the razor for him. He went to take it quickly and cut his finger. The razor hit the ground. "Ow! Dammit!" He shouted, holding his wound.

I sighed and looked at the small speck of blood. I looked upward and breathed, "Lord help us…" I picked up the razor, took his elbow, and lead him down to the water. I also picked up a bundle of clothing on the way.

While Will shaved, I sat on the bank washing clothes in the river water. Wat's clothing was nearly worn through and I could barely scrub it for fear it would fall apart in my hands. I washed my own apron as well. The once pure white fabric was now yellowed from time. It once covered my whole skirt, now it hardly made it to my knees. When I was done I laid it all out on the rocks and sat back. I heard footsteps behind me. I turned and looked over my shoulder and up at a cleanly shaven William. I smiled, liking the sight much better. "Wonderful. Nice job." I said.

He grinned and sat next to me. "Are we done now?" he asked.

"Of course not." I said.

"I figured you'd say that." He said with a sigh.

I grinned and stood up. "Come on then." I said. Will sighed and stood then followed me. We made our way back to camp where Roland and Wat were lounging around. "Sit down." I told Will. He begrudgingly obeyed. "Roland, might I borrow your knife?" I asked. He nodded and handed it to me. "Thank you." I say chirpily. I took a strip of cloth and gathered Will's hair back. He grabbed my wrist.

"What are you doing?!" he exclaimed.

"Cutting your hair. Honestly, Will, it's dreadful." I said. I yanked my wrist away from him and he pouted. I tied his hair back and cut right above the cloth. His hair splayed out in all directions, becoming sort of a curly mess. It wasn't perfect but it looked much better. It now just barely reached his neck. I walked around to the front of him to check it and smiled. "Ah, yes. That is much better." I said to no one in particular.

"I agree." Roland said with a nod. I looked at Wat for his input but found him asleep. I sighed and handed Roland back his knife.

"Are we done quite yet?" William asked.

"Nope. Come along." I said. He got up and followed me back towards the river.

"Addie, I don't want a bath! Why must I take one?!" Will exclaimed, sounding very much like a child.

I rolled my eyes. "Because bathing is the one free thing nobles do. Therefore, we might as well take advantage of the opportunity. Now go." I ordered. He didn't move. I sighed. "Raise your arms." I said. Confused, he hesitantly did as I said. I quickly tugged off his rag of a shirt and dropped it. I spun him around and pushed him forward towards the water. "Now, Will!"

He looked back at me irritably, huffed and then began to remove his boots. "Could you look away please?" he asked, a pout in his voice.

"My pleasure." I assured him and turned the other way. After a few seconds I heard a splash and turned back around. "Alright wash up good. We leave for Rouen tomorrow." I said.

"What? Don't you want to get in?" he asked with a sly grin.

I glared at him. "Just do as I said Will." I sighed and gathered up his clothes and walked away to wash them.

I was far out of sight of Will and I made quick work of washing his garments. This far down the river I didn't suspect the boys would find me. I unpinned my bangs and let them fall partially over my face. I tucked them behind my ear and stood silently up. I doffed my own clothing, letting the worn brown dress hit the ground. I tugged off my shift and unlaced my shoes, kicking them off. Looking around once more to make sure my privacy was intact, I waded into the cool river water. I dipped under to soak my hair and then came up, plastering it to my head and keeping it out of my face. I smiled at the refreshing feeling. I looked along the bank and to my happy surprise found tiny pink flowers, also known as soapwort. If you crush the flowers in your hand thoroughly, a bubbly white substance will appear and you can use that to wash.

I did exactly that. By the end my skin was pink and dirt-free. However I decided to lounge in the river a bit longer. I started humming as I cleaned up, feeling somewhat care free. I lost all interest in the world and in that, let my guard down. Bad idea; I didn't hear the footsteps that approached the bank.

"Addie?" came a familiar voice. I whipped around and found Will and Wat. I quickly covered myself after recovering from shock.

"What are you two doing here?!" I exclaimed.

They had already looked away. "Sorry! Sorry! We just got worried about you…because you'd been gone for a while." Will explained.

"Yeah…what he said." Wat added.

I rolled my eyes irritably. "Well would you mind leaving so I might get out?" I asked.

"R-right of course. Sorry!" Will said and the two took off. I sighed and waited for them to be long gone and then climbed out on the bank. Drying off quickly, I got dressed and rushed back to camp. Upon my arrival I found Wat and Will sitting silently on the ground with blushing cheeks. Roland looked up from his paper and grinned at me.

"So…what'd I miss?" he asked, knowing full well what was going on.

I glared at him and began to brush out my soaking wet hair. I settled on changing the subject. "So, do you feel you've trained enough Will?" I asked.

He hesitated then cleared his throat and answered, "Y-yes…I think so." He said.

I nodded. "How about you two? Are you ready to try and pull this off?" I asked. Wat and Roland each gave me a nod. I finished brushing my hair, set it down and then turned to face them with a smile on my face. "Great! Then I suppose it's off to Rouen!"

The boys stood up and let up a cheer. _Good Lord, be with us._


End file.
